Water restrictions in Sacramento County, CA — also called the watering schedule, outdoor irrigation rules, or drought ordinance — set which days and hours you can run sprinklers or irrigation.
Sacramento County and its water providers enforce permanent water waste prohibitions plus drought-response watering schedules. Outdoor watering is generally limited to two or three days per week with no daytime irrigation and no runoff.
Sacramento County Water Agency, Sacramento Suburban Water District, Golden State Water, and Cal-Am Water serve unincorporated areas. Permanent state prohibitions under the State Water Resources Control Board ban hosing hard surfaces, watering within 48 hours of measurable rain, irrigation runoff to streets, non-recirculating decorative fountains, and washing vehicles without a shutoff nozzle. Local schedules typically limit outdoor watering to two days per week in summer (March through October), before 10 am or after 7 pm. Winter watering is typically once per week. Purple-pipe recycled water is used in some master-planned communities. Civil Code 4735 prohibits HOAs from fining members for reduced irrigation during declared drought emergencies.
Warning on first offense. Fines from 50 dollars to 500 dollars per subsequent violation depending on water provider. Habitual waste can trigger flow restrictors.
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See how Sacramento County's water restrictions rules stack up against other locations.
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